Flawed Victory: Jutland, 1916

Many books have been written about Jutland, the most important naval battle of World War I, but this work sets a new standard for popular naval history. Keith Yates writes with such clarity that readers can follow even the most abstruse details of the battle, and he writes with such style and verve that even readers with no knowledge of the war will get caught up in the story. Yet his expert analysis of the battle and his discussion of the post-war controversy, which draw on his own naval experience and lifelong study of the subject, will attract professional naval historians.

One of the book's many strengths is a background essay that prepares the reader for the battle and also offers one of the best portraits available of the Royal Navy before, during, and after the war. The author's profiles of the major players involved contribute to a deeper understanding of the battle whose opponents both claimed victory. When the British and German fleets finally met that day in 1916 off the coast of Denmark--as much by accident as by design--none would know that debate over the outcome would rage on for years and become nearly as interesting as the battle itself. Now distanced in time and completely detached from the personalities involved on that momentous day, Yates can take a fresh look at Jutland and the naval actions preceding it.